1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power brush assembly for vacuum cleaners and, more particularly, to a power brush assembly designed to perform a linear reciprocating action in addition to a rotating action, thus improving a dust cleaning effect of a vacuum cleaner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional vacuum cleaner. As shown in the drawing, the conventional vacuum cleaner comprises a suction part 200, which is provided at the lower portion of a body 100 and is used for sucking dust-laden air from a target surface using a suction force of a motor-operated suction fan 300. A dust filter bag 400 is set within the body 100 at a predetermined position, and filters the dust-laden air to collect dust therein. An air guide passage 500 is provided at the body 100 for guiding the dust-laden air from the suction part 200 to the dust filter bag 400 within the body 100. A power brush assembly 600 is set within the suction nozzle of the suction part 200, and actively brushes the target surface to more effectively suck dust and impurities from the target surface into the suction part 200.
FIG. 2 is a view, showing the construction of a conventional power brush assembly for vacuum cleaners.
As shown in FIG. 2, the conventional power brush assembly comprises a casing 104 defining the suction nozzle 102, through which dust-laden air is sucked under pressure into the suction part of a vacuum cleaner. A power brush 106 is rotatably set within the casing 104, and brushes dust and impurities on a target surface so as to allow the dust and impurities to be more effectively sucked along with pressurized air from the target surface into the suction part. A drive motor 108 is set on the interior surface of the casing 104, and generates a rotating force for the power brush 106. The power brush assembly also comprises a power transmission mechanism used for transmitting the rotating force of the drive motor 108 to the power brush 106.
In the above conventional power brush assembly, the power brush 106 has a longitudinal roller-shaped body, with a plurality of spiral ridges regularly formed around the external surface of the roller-shaped body. A great number of brushing projections 112 are formed along each spiral ridge of the power brush 106, and actively brush a target surface to separate dust and impurities from the surface during a rotating action of the brush 106. Two rotating shafts 110 are formed at opposite ends of the roller-shaped body of the power brush 106, and rotatably hold the brush 106 to opposite sidewalls of the casing 104, with a sleeve bearing 114 formed on the interior surface of each sidewall of the casing 104 at a position around each rotating shaft 110 and rotatably holding each shaft 110 on the casing 104.
The power transmission mechanism of the conventional power brush assembly comprises a drive pulley 118, which is fixed to the motor shaft 116 of the drive motor 108 and is rotatable along with the motor shaft 116 in the same direction. A driven pulley 120 is mounted to one end of the power brush 106, while a transmission belt 124 is wrapped around the drive and driven pulleys 118 and 120 to transmit the rotating force of the drive pulley 118 to the driven pulley 120.
When the drive motor 108 of the conventional power brush assembly is electrically activated, the drive motor 108 is rotated in one direction. The rotating force of the motor 108 is transmitted to the power brush 106 through the drive pulley 118, the belt 124 and the driven pulley 120, thus rotating the brush 106 in the same direction and allowing the brush 106 to actively brush a target surface to separate dust and impurities from the target surface.
However, the conventional power brush assembly is problematic in that it only performs a rotating action around its rotating shafts 110, and so the brush assembly cannot totally brush a target surface at areas corresponding to the gaps between the opposite ends of the brush 106 and the sidewalls of the casing 104. Therefore, it is almost impossible for the conventional brush assembly to separate dust or impurities from said areas, thus reducing the dust cleaning effect of a vacuum cleaner.
Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a power brush assembly for vacuum cleaners, which is designed to perform a linear reciprocating action in addition to a rotating action, thus effectively brushing the areas of a target surface corresponding to the gaps between opposite ends of its brush and the sidewalls of the casing and improving the dust cleaning effect of a vacuum cleaner.
In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a power brush assembly for vacuum cleaners, comprising: a casing set in the suction part of a vacuum cleaner and defining a suction nozzle used for sucking dustladen air under pressure into the suction part of the vacuum cleaner; a power brush set within the casing such that the brush is rotatable and reciprocable to the left and right within the casing, the power brush being used for brushing dust and impurities on a target surface; a drive motor generating a rotating force for allowing the power brush to rotate and reciprocate to the left and right; and a power transmission mechanism connecting the drive motor to the power brush and transmitting the rotating force of the drive motor to the power brush.